Brits Will Take More Than £80 Million Worth of Gadgets to Glastonbury This Year

As 135,000 festival goers gear up for Glastonbury this weekend, opportunistic thieves may well be getting ready too, as new research by gadget insurer Protect Your Bubble reveals that over £80 million of tech will be taken to the festival this summer**.

With more than 10 million Brits planning on attending a festival this season alone, each reveller intends to carry a whopping £593 of gadgets in their rucksack – making music festivals a hotbed for crime, accidental damage and loss.

Smartphones are now a key element of the experience, with 85% of festival goers packing smartphones for festivals in the last three years. The top reasons for taking mobile phones this year include contacting friends if separated (59%), showing off on social media (42%) and keeping in touch with friends and family at home (38%).

Unfortunately the data also reveals that almost a quarter (24%) of adults who’ve been to a festival in the past have damaged (22%), lost (19%) or had a phone stolen (15%). Of those that had their phone stolen, just 32% had insurance in place that they could claim on and only 14% reported the crime to the police. Meanwhile, more than four in ten (42%) ended up with a larger than usual phone bill after the thief used it.

Aware of these risks, 31% of Brits going to a festival this year plan on storing valuables in a money belt, while 26% intend to keep electronic devices in a water-tight container – although three in 10 (30%) would not prepare for any accidents whatsoever.

Smartphones aren’t the only gadgets at risk. Believe it or not, 23% of festival goers plan on taking their laptops and one in ten (10%) pack tablets or iPads. Worryingly, almost half (48%) of revellers admit to leaving smart phones unattended in their tent, with 12% leaving laptops and 9% leaving tablets an open target for thieves.

Yet some festival goers have taken the opportunity for a digital detox. The top reason cited for leaving mobile phones at home entirely include not wanting to lose it (33%), not wanting it to be stolen (24%) and wanting to enjoy the festival technology-free (12%).

Rob Basinger, head of UK at gadget insurer Protect Your Bubble, says: “More than 1 million Brits plan to hit a festival this season, either on home soil or overseas and, for many, it’ll be the highlight of the summer. But when you’ve had a few ciders, you’re up to your knees in mud, and living in a tent for a weekend, the risk to your valuables is considerably higher.

“Keep your smartphone safe by not leaving it unattended in a tent or a car, and don’t store it in your back pocket when you’re in a crowd – instead, keep smaller valuables under cover in a money belt. With British festivals traditionally a soggy affair, you can also protect electronic devices from the elements by ensuring they’re kept in a water-tight ziplock bag.

“You needn’t leave your smartphone at home for fear of accidents – just ensure you have appropriate cover for it before you leave home, should the worst happen. To avoid the queues for battery charge points, take a portable charger or a cheaper back-up phone – but remember to share the number with your mates.”